Molly McGuire ( She/Her )

Bachelor of Humanities, Policy Analyst, Privy Council Office

B.Hum Graduate 2019

What was your experience like in the program and how has your degree helped your career?

It was impeccable. Lectures were engaging, with professors who were equal parts storyteller, mentor, and philosopher; outside of class, they made themselves available to think through ideas one-on-one, dive more deeply into the material, and check in to be sure each of us was getting the most out of the program, and had access to the tools needed to succeed. The staff was endlessly supportive and patient, ensuring the path to graduation was crystalline, with Andrea supplying us with years of puzzles, seasonal cheer, and exam-time sugar rushes. 

On the subjects themselves, we were treated to a feast of some of history’s finest works; a charcuterie of ideas ordered in ways that felt cohesive, enlightening, and approachable (provided we kept up on our readings). Thanks to the curriculum, in four years, we became small talk sharpshooters – not a reference missed, or topic covered to which we could not contribute (with one, notable exception: sports). 

But, as everyone will attest, the best part of the program was the people. The impact of the Hums community cannot be overstated; to put it simply, even on the most stressful days, I looked forward to going to school. Despite the importance of writing, reading, researching, and going through the necessary beats of post-secondary school, the material came to life most vividly in the Lounge after class, where we’d talk for hours on end about ideas, books, culture (historical, and often popular), and ambitions. We got to tackle philosophies as the thinkers originally intended, by taking them apart out loud, challenging and validating them through the lenses of our own lives and bookshelves, and imagining how to manifest the worlds with which we fell in love together. It felt like all voices were valued, and friendships were made at first sight. Paterson Hall was a safe space for authenticity, and a kind place to grow up with the friends who will remain with us for a lifetime. It was a privilege to spend four years surrounded by like-minded oddballs, laughing until our stomachs hurt.    

The degree is a great complement to Policy; it’s a field that demands clear writing, critical thinking, research prowess, and a good deal of creative problem solving, and there is no greater tutor in these skills than this program. Further, because we come out of Hums as generalists, we are well suited to the landscape of government work, where analysts toggle between roles and departments on a perennial cycle, specializing in new subject areas every few years. Most importantly, the program’s ethical, and philosophical foundations help to instill a thoughtfulness and optimism for the world that are key to holistic, humanistic decision-making; the Government of Canada can always use more dreamers (a personal stance, but I think they’d concur).